


Something More Beautiful

by Hollie47



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27915319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollie47/pseuds/Hollie47
Summary: Tanith and China relax at the park together
Relationships: Tanith Low/China Sorrows
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Something More Beautiful

Feeling the soft grass beneath her hands, China ran her fingers through it and took a moment to relax. The sky was a soft blue with not a cloud in sight, the birds were singing their song high up in the trees, and Tanith was lying next to her, snoozing under the warm sun that came through the tree tops.

It had taken Tanith three weeks to get her to go to the park with her and in all her stubbornness she refused each and every time. Giving in finally when Tanith gave her the puppy dog eyes, she knew she would hate it but now that she was here she was actually enjoying herself for once.

Watching as a beautiful orange and black monarch butterfly flew around Tanith, China let a small smile grace her face as the butterfly landed on Tanith’s nose and spread its wings. Quickly grabbing her phone and taking a photo of it before it flew away, China’s smile widened as she captured the perfect image.

Deciding to lie down, China grabbed her jacket from next to her and folded it up. Putting it down on the picnic blanket, she laid back and used it as a pillow. Gently resting her hand on top of Tanith’s, China stared at the sky and watched as the wind gently swayed the leaves on the trees and the birds flew overhead.

“I told you you would enjoy it here,” Tanith said, her eyes closed as she held onto China’s hand.

“You may be correct but I’ll never admit it,” China replied, letting herself relax a little more.

“You basically did, babe,” Tanith smirked, opening her eyes and looking at China. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“How often do you come here?” China asked, the thought only just now crossing her mind.

“Usually once a week; it helps when I need to think or just relax, it’s usually very quiet so I can do both. I only found this little spot recently when I noticed something shiny in the tree above. And before you say I shouldn’t get distracted by shiny things, I checked it out and it was only one of those glitter stickers of a horse,” Tanith replied, watching as China shook her head.

“So you just lie on the ground and think and relax?” China asked, not understanding why.

“Only sometimes, there is a playground just over the hill and when I come here late at night I will sometimes sit on the swing or lie down on the large mesh swing and listen to music to clear my head while I watch the stars twinkling in the night sky. It’s kind of therapeutic almost to me.” Letting China in on something no one else knew about her, she worried how it would come across.

“When you say a mesh swing, what do you mean?” China asked, her interest peeking.

“It’s like a large tyre swing but instead it’s a flat circle with soft rope mesh covering it instead. It could easily fit two adults on it,” Tanith replied, wondering where China was going with her questions.

“It sounds somewhat interesting,” China admitted, noticing Tanith roll onto her side, looking at her.

“We could always go check it out, I haven’t seen or heard any children or their parents yelling at them,” Tanith suggested, noticing a look on China’s face.

“Wouldn’t it be weird if two adults basically just marched over to the play equipment?” China said, voicing her concern.

“The path down there loops up and around the play equipment. If we follow the path we’ll just look like two people going for a walk.” Getting up from the picnic blanket, Tanith held her hand out to China and pulled her to her feet.

“What about our stuff?” China said, looking down at the small picnic blanket Tanith had brought along with them.

“It should be fine if we leave it here, who is going to want to steal a picnic blanket and two jackets?” Tanith replied, holding onto China’s hand and leading her over to the path.

Walking along the path, China kept an eye out for anyone else around. Seeing a few people jogging past her and Tanith she didn’t pay them much attention as they were heading in the opposite way to where they were headed. Snapping her head around as she heard a child scream, she felt Tanith’s grip on her hand tighten as she tried to see where the sound came from.

“It’s just a kid on the sidewalk over there, I think he wants to play but his dad has other things to do as he seems to have three children with him,” Tanith said, pointing China in the right direction.

“Wouldn’t it just be easier to let the kids play for a while, it would wear them out for bedtime,” China replied, seeing the father pick his son up and carry him to their car.

“It would.” 

Continuing to walk down the path, China noticed some rose bushes up ahead and went over to them. Bending down to smell a yellow rose, she closed her eyes and inhaled a small smile appearing on her face as the petals tickled her nose.

“A rose almost as beautiful as you,” Tanith softly said, watching as the sunlight shone down on China at just the right angle.

“Stop it,” China softly replied, not able to help the blush appearing on her cheeks. Over her many hundred years she had received every compliment possible and not one of them made her feel anything. When the compliments come from Tanith, it makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside, it makes her heart happy and she couldn’t get the smile off her face half the time.

Feeling Tanith wrap and arm around her waist, she leant into her and smiled when Tanith placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Taking Tanith’s hand in hers once more, she started to walk along the path again. Starting to see the top of the play equipment, it didn’t take long until it came into full view.

There was your average jungle gym, a seesaw, a swing set, a rock climbing wall, some exercise ground courses of tyres and ropes, and off to the side sat the swing Tanith had told her about. Not seeing any children around, she looked to Tanith who had a mischievous look on her face.

“Come on China, there is no one around,” Tanith said, dragging China over to the large rope mesh swing.

Feeling the sturdiness of the swing, China walked around it, observing it, as it sat there, hanging from four ropes which connected it to its metal frame. 

“It’s a lot more comfy than it looks. Lie down on it and then I’ll join you,” Tanith encouraged, holding the swing still while China gingerly got on it and laid down. “How’s that?”

“It’s not bad, now come and join me.” Seeing a smirk on Tanith’s face, China was about to say something else just as Tanith pushed the swing back and jumped on, lying down next to China as China held on tightly, looking a little panicked.

“See, I told you this is fun,” Tanith said, getting comfortable as she rested her head next to China’s.

“We have very different ideas on what fun is,” China commented, her hand starting to hurt from how tightly she was gripping onto the rope holding the swing up.

“Let go of the rope, you won’t fall off,” Tanith said, taking China’s free hand in her own.

Listening to what Tanith had to say, China slowly released her grip and looked up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to set and with the soft movement of the swing, she began to feel herself calming down a little.

Seeing two butterflies flying around together, she watched as they headed over to where the roses where, settling down on the petals. Pointing them out to Tanith, China readjusted herself so her head was resting on Tanith’s chest, while the blonde wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

“This isn’t so bad after all,” China admitted, letting out a yawn as she realised she was getting tired.

“See, and being here with you makes it more special to me,” Tanith replied, placing a quick kiss to China’s head.

“I would perhaps come here with you again, late at night, so we can watch the stars together,” China said, the feeling of warmth spreading throughout her body as Tanith hugged her tight.

“I would love that, I really would,” Tanith admitted as she held China close to her as the swing softly swayed back and forth with the sun setting behind the hill turning the colour of the sky to a beautiful mix of pink and purple. With China in her arms, she had never seen something more beautiful.


End file.
